“After a year of conflict in the Middle East, Israel’s war goals have now expanded: no longer just the destruction of Hamas, but also Hezbollah and what Benjamin Netanyahu has called a ‘change in the balance’ of power. Does Netanyahu mean regime change? Tehran? The current escalation could prove to be an existential trap for Iran. It would therefore have been wiser if Tehran had done nothing and watched Israel get bogged down in Lebanon again. That’s what she writes liberal-conservative, Italian daily newspaper The Press.
“This is a new dangerous moment for Lebanon and the Middle East, and at the same time it is a stark reminder of the past. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to have no long-term plan, no clear exit strategy,” writes the British Guardian.
“If ever there was a reason to target Iran’s nuclear facilities, this is it. (…) Iran is closer than ever to a nuclear weapon and will not hold back. The question for the US and Israeli leadership is: If not now, then when? (…) Escalating the confrontation now is a risk for Iran.” This is what the New Yorker writes Wall Street Journal about last night’s escalation.
“The rocket attack on Israel signals that, as many feared, a major, full-fledged regional conflict has broken out. Because containment forces in the Middle East are dwindling daily, the official leadership in Israel will interpret Iran’s attack as a declaration of war. (… )”, the Russian daily newspaper Moskowski Komsomolez predicts a large-scale war.